The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1887-06-15
GAS, OIL AND SALT WATER.
State Geologist Thompson Discusses ths
Results of Recent Investigations.

Peru Republican, as having said that no
disturbance of the p leozoic strata exists
along the Wabash River, as sketched by
Professor Gorbey in the last State Geology
Professor Orton's opinion was based was
that Trenton limestone had, according 10
the Professor, been found at less than six
hundred feet below the surface at Elkhart,
far north Of the river. A few DAYS ago I
received letter from Professor Orion
frankly admitting that he was wrong in his
judgment of the Elkhart well. This how
ever, was after my assistant, Professor
Gorbey, had been 20 E.khart and Goshen,
and settled the fact that Trenton limestone
must be fifteen hundred, or perhaps con-
siderably more than fifteen hundred feet
under ground there. / do not mention
this to point out the error of Professor Or
toms judgment, which, no doubt, came of
too hasty examination, but to call the
attention OF those interested in Indiana
geology to rome further DEVELOPMENTS of
my survey of the line of the Wabash River
and of the western part of the wabash
Arch" or Wabash disturbance"
A little south of Kentland, in Newton
County. there is a truncated fold OF the
Upper SIurian strata. Its shape is that of
cone whose apex has been cut of, the
area exposed being a hundred or more
acres, the rock standing almost vertically
in the center and sloping toward all points
of the compass around the outer circum-
ference. IT is not q false bedding" in any
sense of the word; but, on the contrary,
the rocks, which are of the water-lime and
Niagara groups, show every feature of dis
turbance. This Kentland area is sur
rounded by strata of the superior forma-
ton deposited Ronconformably, it being
but few miles mot to exceed three to
where the sub-csrboniferous rocks lie level
and undisturbed. At Delphi, which is on
the Wabash River, another unmistakable
arch is exposed in the outcrop OF the Mag
ara rocks. There the Devonian shales and
Corniferous limestone lie uudisturbed,
evenly disposed around and non conform.
ably to the Niagara limestone. This arch
is as plainly marked as if of masonry, and
its breadth of span is accurately proper
tional to the thickness of the rocks as
shown by the drill in the Delphi well. Mr..
w. II. Thompson, who has made for me
thorough denomination of the forma-
ton, reports that the drill, in passing
through the Niagara limestone in the we'll
above mentioned, cut the qualifications at an
angle of about forty degrees, wherefore the
formation showed much thicker than it
really is.
1t appears that many biologists have
taken it for granted that Professor Gorbey
has described a perfect and continuous
arch across Indiana. This is not so. The
fold, so far as yet defined, is Just like any
other mountain chain, a series of anti
clInes and synclines-a broken, cracked,
twisted, distorted condition of the strata
extending across the State, in zig-zag sys-
tenn of faults, assures and breaks, of which
the Wabash River runs for much of the
way between Huntington and Lafayette.
Before any boring had been done on the
banks of the river between these points, |
ventured to express the belief that no gas
would be discovered at any point of tAe
nver where the disturbance was of a
marked nature, for the reason that the
assures caused by the disturbance had
allowed the gas to escape. SO far, my pre-
diction holds good to degree beyond the
limit of expectation, for, while gas is found
at Fort Wayne on one hand, and some ten
miles south of the river on the other hand,
the wells at Peru, Delphi. Logansport,
Wabash, Huntington and Button have
been failures
Another prediction, BASED on facts noted
in connection with the disturbance" was
that north of the Wabash River l should
expect to find the strata all dipping north
wardly to pass under the Michigan basin.
The dTilliDgs since made prove this fore
cast to have been correct. If the gas found
at Fort Wayne prove to be unaccompanied
by salt water, the theory advanced by Pro-
lessor orion that deep gas must soon sue
cumb to salt water will have been aban-
doned. If Trenton limestone is not con-
tinuously porous-and it certainly is
Motive must admit that salt water
can not always be the next thing below
the gas. The simpler explanation of the
whole matter is that wherever salt water
and gas occupy the same porous stratum
the water will be below the gas, and, if the
gas has escaped, the water will still be
there. So if oil and water are together in
a porous rock, the oil will be above the
water. The theory that gas is not to be
found in paying quantities not more than
500 feet below the sea-level is to be taken as
of local and not general application. In
the main gas regions of Ohio and Indiana
it chanceo that the top of the Trenton
anticlinals was not far from sea level, there
fore, where a well reached Trenton lime
stone greatly below sea-level it would prob
ably be IN trough or synclinal which
would be found full of oil or salt water be-
cause these heavier bodies sought the lowest
point in the porous rock. But if an area
of Trenton limestone, porous and sur
rounded by an impervious area, should be
cut by the drill, no matter how deep below
sea level, it might be found full of gas, for
in that case, if gas ever had been generated
in the rock, ii would, Of necessity, still be
there. The phrases "sea-Ievel" must be
taken as of limited and local application at
present, thoBgh 1t may chance to hold
good in large majority of instances every
where. The reason il holds good in general
throughout Indiana and Northern Ohio is
to be found in the fact that the Trenton
limestone happens to lie, when undisturbed,
considerably below sea-level, and when
disturbed little below, at or somewhat
above sea-level. Therefore, when the dis.
turbance has formed a dome. whose roof is
unbToken, gas will be found in the dome,
but if the roof Is cracked and broken the
gas will all be gone. The domes at Kent
land and Delphi probably would have been
| full Of gas had they remained unbroken.
| Still the anticlinal theory does not pre-
clude the possibility of gas being found
even in synclinals under special clrcum-
stances, nor does the "sea-levep' theory,
as take it, exclude the pos
sibility or even the probability of gas
being found at any depth under
ground, provided there is a proper reser-
| Yoir in the structure of the Trenton lime
stone. In other words, If dome or anti
clinal crest of Trenton limestone should be
found 200 feet below sea-leveI, see no
reason why, if porous, it should not be full
| of gas. This is the only hope for any sue
/ cessful wells north of the Wabash arch. If
| anywhere along the northward slope the
| Trenton limestone be found sharply
folded, there gas may be accumulated IN
! paying quantities, but as the area is deeply
covered with drift the drill must disclose
the facts. MAURICE THOMPSON.